NO MATTER the type of public facility, it pays to give close attention to the design, maintenance and condition of the restrooms.

A new survey of hand washing behaviour and preferences illustrates how a facility’s restroom appearance directly influences customers’ perceptions of the business, and how a poorly maintained restroom can impact a business.

Bradley Corporation, a manufacturer of commercial plumbing fixtures, washroom accessories, emergency fixtures and solid plastic lockers, conducted its fifth annual survey last August covering more than 1,000 people in the US. The survey found that 63 per cent of respondents reported that using a public restroom had been particularly distasteful due to the condition of the facilities. Last year only 51 per cent reported such dissatisfaction.

Messy restrooms not only displease customers, patrons and employees, they also damage the reputation of a business. As many as 73 per cent of consumers believe a bad restroom indicates poor management; 69 per cent say it lowers their opinion of the company; 65 per cent say it shows the business doesn’t care about customers; 61 per cent say it gives the impression the company is lazy or sloppy; and 64 per cent say they’ll either think twice about patronising the business or will never frequent it again.

The condition of restrooms can discourage users following through with the important act of washing hands, which is typically due to empty soap dispensers, broken sinks or soap dispensers, or unclean restrooms. Skipping hand washing is a real problem, since there are many touch points in restrooms rife with germs and bacteria that can be spread to other areas of the facility if restroom users don’t wash their hands properly.

A single-station Verge.

Scientists believe that our hands may transmit up to 80 per cent of all infections so hand washing is a critical step in stopping the spread of infection, including diarrhoeal diseases, food-borne illnesses, respiratory infections, etc. For example, it is estimated that washing hands with soap and water could reduce diarrhoeal disease-associated deaths by up to 50 per cent. And researchers in London estimate that if everyone routinely washed their hands, a million deaths a year could be prevented. Furthermore, many food-borne disease outbreaks are spread by contaminated hands. Appropriate hand washing can reduce the risk of food-borne illness and other infections.

Newer high-quality restroom sanitary ware can help promote hygiene, durability, sustainability, maintainability, operational efficiency and safety. Such fixtures also help keep commercial restrooms looking and performing their best for many years to come.

More than ever before, restroom products now incorporate sustainable materials, which are known for high product durability, maintainability and longer life cycle features, as well as environmental benefits. For fixtures such as sinks and toilet cubicles, materials made of natural and recycled materials are more commonly used.

For example, a new durable and sustainable natural material available for basin countertops – Evero Natural Quartz Material – can be sculpted into a range of modern design options. Composed of an eco-friendly resin made of soy and corn, natural quartz is virtually maintenance-free, since it does not require sealing, buffing or reconditioning like granite. Its smooth and seamless finish has a non-porous surface, so it does not support microbial growth, and is very easy to clean.

Basin countertops made of Terreon recycled solid surface also help ensure long-term durability, ease of cleaning and long-term maintenance. The solid surface resists stains, chemicals, scratches and heat. Surface marks and scratches are repaired easily with everyday cleaners or fine-grit abrasives, making the material very easy to clean and maintain. These basins also use an attractive integrated bowl design, which eliminates crevices that hide microbes and further helps prevent the spread of germs.

Recycled materials are also used in durable solid plastic Bradmar toilet cubicles made from 100 per cent post-consumer recycled high-density polyethylene (HDPE) solid plastic. Bradmar cubicles are extremely durable and carry a 15-year warranty – the best in the industry. Because the colour goes all the way through the material, it never needs painting and scratches can be easily repaired. This solid plastic material stands up to heavy usage and is easy to clean and maintain.

Touchless fixtures

The Advocate AV-Series ... hygienic.

 “Hands-free” sanitary ware help users avoid touching restroom surfaces, reducing the transmission of germs and bacteria from users’ hands. They also help improve overall facility hygiene as users leave the restroom and enter other areas.

While touchless fixtures are hygienic and convenient for consumers to use, they are also easier for the building staff to clean and maintain, since wear and tear from usage is minimised. These fixtures also help discourage vandalism attempts such as leaving a faucet running to create a mess in the restroom, as sensored faucets prevent overflows with an automatic shut-off.

In addition, newer hands-free fixtures – such as Bradley’s Verge and Advocate AV-Series hand-washing systems – use low-flow 1.44 litres per minute (lpm) faucets that can reduce water usage by 24 per cent.

Safety

Wet and slippery floors raise the risk of washroom falls and are a leading source of restroom injuries. Often these falls occur because a sink is malfunctioning or because patrons need to walk from the hand-washing area with wet hands in order to get a towel to dry their hands.

Bradley’s new Advocate AV-Series basin provides an all-in-one hand-washing system with the basin, touchless soap, faucet and high-efficiency hand dryer all in the same unit. This promotes safety since the user’s hands stay within the sink area until they are dried, eliminating dripping water.

A well-planned restroom design with durable sanitary ware improves customer perceptions of the business, helps drive down operating and maintenance costs, promotes healthy hand washing among patrons, and maintains an enhanced customer experience.

* Headquartered in Wisconsin, US, Bradley Corporation is a US Green Building Council (USGBC) member and manufacturer of locker room products, plumbing fixtures, washroom accessories, partitions and emergency fixtures. For more than 90 years, the company has designed and manufactured public facility hand washing and sanitary ware, and today is the industry’s comprehensive source for plumbing fixtures, washroom accessories, toilet cubicles, emergency fixtures and solid plastic lockers.